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R12RT Headlight bulb replacement


Jon_M

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I am about to swap out my stock headlight bulbs for Osram Silverstars. Just eyeballing the job, it looks like a real knuckle-scraper. My hands are not particularly big, but I can hardly get ahold of the bulb receptacles down inside the fairing.

 

Who has done this? Anything I should be concerned about, other than getting greasy fingerprints on the bulbs?

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I've done it - put in Osram Coolblues.

 

It was damn tricky at first, but once I got the hang of it, it became easier. Have someone with really small hands stand by. The biggest problem is you can't see what you're doing, and getting those clips back on is a bitch. Took me about an hour.

 

But the second time it will be really easy. The major problem the first time as that I unplugged the wrong lead. dopeslap.gifdopeslap.gif

 

Next time I do it I'll probably remove the black part of the fairing under the clocks first. Should make it easier.

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Well, I managed it. It also took me about an hour to replace all three. It's a simple task, just as the manual suggests, but not easy because of the cramped spaces. If you could see and get your hands into the spaces, it would be a five-minute job.

 

One word of caution from my vast experience: Do NOT drop a bulb down inside the fairing. Don't ask me how I know about this.

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Did this swap make a big deference to you? I was thinking of going to the PIAA H4's. Why did you chose Osram? Just looking for information....

 

Thanks,

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Did this swap make a big deference to you? I was thinking of going to the PIAA H4's. Why did you chose Osram? Just looking for information....

 

Thanks,

 

I confess I haven't tested out the difference yet because I haven't had time to take a night ride. Maybe tonight.

 

I used H-4 PIAA Superwhites in a previous bike (K11LT) and definitely noticed a difference. I have also tried the Phillips "Vision Plus" bulbs and liked them. too. But recently, I've read a ton of opinions about which bulbs are best, and the consensus seems to have converged on the Osram Silverstars. There was a discussion on the IBMWR list in particular that influenced me because of the careful comparisons that were described. So, I decided to give them a try in the R12RT (H-7s in this case). I found a vendor who sold them to me for ten bucks apiece, so it's not such an expensive experiment. Retail, they are close to $50 a pair.

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Did this swap make a big deference to you? I was thinking of going to the PIAA H4's. Why did you chose Osram?

 

Simply a matter of what I could get locally. Not that it was easy to source the Osrams either.

 

My intention with the swap was not to get better lights - the lights on the RT are very impressive already.

 

I was looking for something that looked a little different, to help the bike stand out a bit from the crowd, and improve visibility among all the idiot cage drivers who drive with their lights on in the daytime these days.

 

The Coolblues deliver a noticeably whiter light. I am thinking of trying blue LEDs in place of the side lights though.

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The Coolblues deliver a noticeably whiter light.

 

If those are the blue-tint bulbs I've read about, they produce more glare for oncoming vehicles and actually put less light on the road for the driver. So, you may be more noticed (but not in a friendly way), but it is unlikely that you will see the road better.

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